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Gerrin Culloch
Pronunciation Guide For the benefit of those who are visiting Gherin Culloch for the first time, your cartographer has included a pronunciation guide and, in some cases, a translation into the common tongue of Xaria. For example: Uiscegor (OOSH-key-gore, Warmwater) Location A sizable island located southwest of Xaria, in the Veldren Sea. Capital There is no set capital on the island. Neighbors The nearest lands across the sea are Chalter Medrium, the Vesve Forest, Doro Y’Edhel, and Talrydam to the north, with Dominia to the southwest. Terrain The island consists of Loganach (LO-gan-awk, Lowlands) and Bunchinach (BUN-kin-awk, Foothills) in the north. Loganach is mostly plains and grasslands. The weather in Bunchinach is more temperate, resulting in good farmland. The Drannormor (DRAN-nor-more) River separates Loganach and Bunchinach. It drains into the sea at Inverdrannor (INVER-drannor). Located on the Drannormor is the small tropical island of Uiscegor (OOSH-key-gore, Warmwater), named after the hot springs that dot the inland. Off the northeast coast lies a cluster of small islands, the Inisoirs (INIS-oars, Easterly Islands). They are mountainous, with some sparse plains. The largest is called Inismor (Big Island). The rest of the islands are called the Inisbegs (Small Islands). A mountain range, the Helands, occupies the central part of Gherin Culloch. The Helands are anchored on the west by Ardiolar (ARD-yolar, Eagle’s Peak). The eastern Helands are anchored by two peaks, Ardrampar and Ardhallbard (Rampart Peak and Billhook Peak). Lorg Dunatis (Dunatis’ Trail) is one of the few passages to the south on this side of the island. There are many lochs (Locks, lakes) in the Helands. The largest is Loch Arwin. Another large loch is Loch Gur. Bordering Loch Guir is Baile Poolavarda. The western shore of the Helands is a high, sheer cliff, the Sciath (Shield). The winter storms roll in from the west and crash into the Sciath. The southern lowlands, called Abhantrach (AVAN-trawk, River basin) include Daramor (Great Oaks), Arulma (Arable Plain) and Rocach (RO-cawk, corrugated, taken from the many farmlands). The Abhanarwin (AVAN-arwin, Arwin River) flows down from the Helands and empties into the Smuggler’s Cove. Government There is no central government here. Rather, the society is governed by a clan-based system. The most powerful of the clans is Clan Camgiall (usually pronounce Campbell meaning Crooked Jaw). Except for smuggling in the south Clan Camgiall controls the flow of trade onto and off of the island. Most smugglers pay a tithe to Camgiall. Military Each clan has warriors and priests. It is not uncommon for some clans to join forces when faced with a common foe. In that respect, if anything were ever to threaten the livelihood of the island, they would certainly retaliate as one force with which it would be difficult to reckon. Friends Heland clans, by their very nature, are insular. They tend to not trust anyone in the next glen over. But they look for profit from trade and try to maintain good relations with the merchants in the lowlands. Some Heland clans trade with Dominia through smugglers. In the remote parts of the Helands human and orc clans have been known to work together. Life is hard up in those hills. Loganach clans are much more open and, through Clan Camgiall, they enjoy trade with the mainland. Foes Clan alliances are made and broken on a regular basis. Clan Camgiall is not anyone’s friend but most of the other clans lack the power to confront them openly. Trade The clans trade for steel. The bog iron on the island is of very poor quality and it takes a lot of wood to melt it down to something usable. The farmlands of Rocach are known for their quality apples and berries but the lack of a port makes it difficult to get these to market. There is not much in the way of foodstuffs that’s exported from the island. They eat most of it. Life is hard if you’re not a Camgiall. There is a reason why the clans are so clannish. Daramor could supply a thriving timber industry, but the lack of a port hampers that effort. The outer islands are a source of pears and, thanks to the warm waters of the Drannormor, some coral. It is Camgiall territory and part of why they have a lock on trade. A harsh winter can be disastrous in the Helands. There’s not much arable land and some settlements actually make their own dirt from human and animal waste and wood ash. “The chief ducked down and stepped out onto his porch. He took a deep breath and smiled, knowing his manure pile was bigger than anyone else’s.” Imports Aside from the unending quest for steel, wool is imported by the Camgialls from merchants in Irroquin. It is then sent into the Helands where it is spun into thread and woven into fabric. The Camgialls also import a fortified wine from Dominia. A similar trade is done through Smuggler’s Bat in the south. Exports Fine woolen fabric leaves Gherin Culloch, bound for markets on the mainland and Dominia. The Camgialls also export heavy dark ale they call stout and UscieBetha (OOSH-key-bah, whiskey). Heland stout goes to the same markets by way of Smuggler’s Bay. Currency In Gherin Culloch, currency is mostly trade goods. If you gave a Helander copper coins he would most likely nail them on his Targe (shield). Mainland coins are used in the lowlands where the value varies depending on the rumored content of precious metal. Wealth Wealth is measured in possessions and displayed by conspicuous consumption. The Gherin Culloch gentleman wears his filleadh mor (FILLY-mor, Great Kilt) and saffron dyed drop sleeve liene (LAY-na, shirt) to show that he is well to do. The great kilt is the source of the expression “the whole nine yards”. People There are two distinctive types of clans; the relatively civilized Lowlanders and the more barbaric Helanders. Clans form and break alliances on a regular basis. Because life is so difficult in the Helands, raiding and feuds are commonplace. Marriages are often arranged between allied clans to end feuds and strengthen ties. Stereotypes The Helanders are perceived as being barbarians, crude and gruff. They never forget a wrong done to them, or their clan, and will eventually find a way to get even. Blood feuds are common. They are a blunt and honest people with a strong code of honor. Loganachers on the other hand are open and friendly. They are talkative to the point of distraction. This is a cover of course. It allows them time to think. It is interesting to note that in the native tongue of Gherin Culloch, there are no words for “yes” or “no”. This can be seen in their use of the common tongue of Xaria. Ask one a question and he is likely to respond by repeating your words. The inflection tells the tale. Festivals Imbolc (IM-molk) is the festival that heralds the start of spring. It is traditionally celebrated at the first thaw. Beltane, celebrated around June 21, is a joyful festival of growth and fecundity that heralds the arrival of summer. Lughnassadh (LOU-na-saw) is celebrated on the first day of August. It heralds the start of autumn. Samhain (SOW-in) is the festival that marks the start of winter. It is celebrated on November 1st. It is on Samhain Eve that the doors to the Otherside open and the Shee come through. Religion The citizenry worship gods and goddesses of nature. The priests of nature are known as druids. All creatures of the fey, or Shee, are held in reverence. The appearance of Shee on the island is very unusual. They exist mostly in stories and myth. Clothing The men can be recognized by their kilts or trews, bonnets, and their liene. The kilts and trews have a tartan sept and the liene is often dyed with saffron. The women wear at least two skirts, a shirt with a modest neckline and a bodice. Most ladies wear a snood type head covering. In towns near the ports the clothing often follows mainland fashions, albeit a few years behind. Active Guilds None. Towns of Note Lowland towns bear Xarian versions of the original names. Locals, being a practical people, found that easier. The same applies to some of the names of the smaller islands of Inisbeg. Daltsly is a large town on the western lowland coast. It is a trading center and the site of many festivals. Madrak is a port town located on the eastern lowland coast. It is a major trade center, and one of the few ports that receives materials from Inissoir. Yröd is located on Norëdor in Inissoir. It is the main shipping port for Gherin Culloch. In recent times, it has become an occasional weigh station for both trade and supplies, or a quick shore leave for ships that were off course. Yorë is a small trade port located on the southern island of Körin in the Inissoir. Of Interest Very few from the mainland see much of Gherin Culloch beyond the coastal towns, and few islanders travel off to distant lands. Clan folk are a superstitious lot and are not comfortable with the lifestyles that the mainlanders lead. Magik is scorned on the island and practitioners are usually burned as heretics or witches. This phobia does not include Divine or Elemental magiks as the worship of Nature gives them exemption. Clan folk are lucky if they come within sight of an Elf in their lifetime. It is also a fact that no Drow has ever been seen on Gherin Culloch to date. A resident would also not know what a Dwarf was if they even saw one. Personal names in Gherin Culloch are an indication of where someone is from. In the lowlands the clan name is taken as a family name, as in Brain U Tamlin, U meaning “of the sons of Tamlin”. In the highlands it is more involved. There Brian’s name would include his father’s name at the very least. If his father was Neil, Brian would be Brian MacNeil, Mac meaning the “son of Neil.” If he was part of the Clan McAllister, he would be Brain MacNeil McAllister, Mc meaning “of the sons of Allister”. Brian’s sister Maire would be called Maire nicNeil McAllister, with nic meaning “the daughter of Neil”. It may be confusing to outsiders, but it makes sense to them. History Few have any knowledge as to how the clan people arrived on the island. Stories tell of the original settlers, and the harsh environment they found when they arrived. The weather was severe and the monsters were cruel and unyielding. Eventually, the population started to grow and the people overcame the adversities. Now, the island is a shadow of its former self. The environment, though still unpredictable, has for the most part been tamed. There are very few monsters left on the island. They have been driven to the far west living in and around the cliffs and caves of Sciath. They are sometimes spotted scrounging the Helands for food and occasionally raid some of the Heland clans when they are desperate. The only monsters still known to exist on the island are Orcs, Ogres, and the rare Troll. Recent Past In September of 496, a few clans following the U Tamlin’s lead attempted to form a centralized government to throw off the chokehold that Clan Camgiall holds over the island. The uprising was unsuccessful, but the lowland clan, U Tamlin, and the highland clan, McAllister, formed an alliance through marriage. This was the first known alliance ever between a Heland and Loganach clan. Many a pint has been downed while arguing whether the lady is a U Tamlin or a McAllister. In 499, following a report of a clash between a Veldron Knight and some Dominian, the Veldron Council sent a contingent to Gherin Culloch. They told the Camgialls they were there to help coordinate a relief effort in the Helands. This followed three years of severely bad winters, known in the Helands as Icefall. In 500 a Dominian senator, accompanied by soldiers, laid groundwork for an alliance with Clan Camgiall and the Heland orc Clan MacGrunge.